Purdue University's Namesake Immortalized in Bronze

A ceremony to dedicate the new bronze statue of John Purdue, the university's founder and namesake, will be held on Sunday, April fourteenth, at ten o'clock in the morning, in front of University Hall at Purdue University. World renowned artist Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, from the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany in Highwood, IL., created and sculpted the statue in great detail, despite having only a few images of Purdue from the university to examine.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 10, 2013

A ceremony to dedicate the new bronze statue of John Purdue, the university's founder and namesake, will be held on Sunday, April fourteenth, at ten o'clock in the morning, in front of University Hall at Purdue University.

World renowned artist Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, from the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany in Highwood, IL., created and sculpted the statue in great detail, despite having only a few images of Purdue from the university to examine.

Her work was commissioned after being selected among fifteen other artists' proposals nationwide. Rotblatt-Amrany was able to capture Purdue's likeness both physically and symbolically, positioning him on a bench that sits in a prominent central campus location by his grave and Memorial Fountain. He is dressed in a scholarly coat, bow-tie, and pocket watch, holding his cane in one hand and resting the other on an open book, symbolizing his passion for learning.

The bench is inscribed with a quote from Uncle: My Journey With John Purdue, one of his biographies, "For John Purdue, education was the flame that lit the world." The statue is placed to one side of the bench, which allows students to sit beside their university founder and be inspired by his philanthropy, work ethic, and love for education, as well as have their picture taken beside him.

John Purdue was a Lafayette business man in the late eighteen hundreds who helped construct the original bridge over the Wabash River. He later owned a construction company that oversaw and built the university, donating one-hundred acres of land and $150,000 in to obtain a federal grant for the project. He was also known for financially supporting the education of several promising students. University Hall, the main building during Purdue's time, is the only remaining building of the original six that he constructed and is thus a fitting location for his statue.

The Order of the Iron Key Class of 2012, organized this project. This is a secret society of twelve rising seniors who complete a project to better the university and the students' experience while at Purdue. Acting in secrecy allows them to be leaders without recognition, and materializing a statue of John Purdue, who shares the same interest of being passionate about students without seeking recognition, was therefore a fitting project for their society.

Stuart Shippee, a fifth-year senior and member of the Order of Iron Key Class of 2012, remarked that "Our University's name is Purdue, but many students don't realize where Purdue comes from. Many don't even know who John Purdue was," (as quoted in Purdue Today).

The John Purdue statue will remind the university of his contribution to history when he laid the groundwork for the institution years ago, and to the present and future as it continues to produce successful leaders for generations to come. It will also give students a tangible connection to their university's namesake, and a better understanding of their institution's past, by putting a face to the man who had a vision for Purdue University nearly one-hundred and forty years ago.

About The Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany
Headquarter in Highwood, Illinois, The Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany is a premier fine art studio and cutting edge art school. Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany started the studio with over 20 years of fine art from their portfolios, art of the Studio Artists and Commissions like “The Spirit: Michael Jordan,” Vince Lombardi and others.